Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-01-28
NORTHUMBERLAND
THE SIMPLICITY WORN
BY our GRANDMOTHERS
Women Now Dress More ArtistIcally
Than Ever Bcfore-smaII Waists and
Decolla rte -- Bodices Nothing New
Grotesque Dresses

There can be no doubt that Chicago
women arenOw better dressed than they
ever were before. The woman OF to-day
may have no more art in her soul than
her mother had, but she certainly knows
better what is becoming to her and what
is not. Students OF dress and expert
observers declare that there never was
time when the dictates of fashion were
of such little force as now. There ia,
generally speaking, a mode, but so much
latitude is allowable in it's details that
the mass OF women are their own costum,
ers. There never was a time when women
placed so little dependence upon their
fashion plates or their dressmakers. This
fact, considered in its relationship 10 the
tasteful dressing so generally seen, shows
that woman herself has made progress
and gained knowledge. This is the
natural result of that evolution which is
going on in w0man's dress as in every
thing else 10 the universe. A new inven-
ton in dress bears a kind of analogy to a
new variation in animals. OF such inyen-
tions and variations there are very many
in this fruitful world, but the poorest,
less convenient, and most inartistic dress
inventions are cast aside, while the best
survive, in one form or another, through
many ages. In thIs way we have some
thing like natural selection and the sur
vlVal OF the tttest, and hence it is quite
proper to speak of the evolution of dress.
The grotesque, the ridiculous, the mar
tistc in form or color have gradually
disappeared, better things taking their
place. Not that the past has been unprO-
ductive of good things. Our tOremothers
had some good ideas, and at times attlred
themselves in artistic raiment. A Greek
girl dancing at the Parthenia, or a Roman
girl at the Lupercal, could not have been
dressed more simply than young lady
Of the beginning of our century in her ball
dress. The only addition to the modern
dress was the long white mlts, which re-
manned in vogue as late as 1910 or 1915.
The street dress of that time was also
quite simple. Low shoes were worn upon
the feet, and bonnet very much resem-
bling the old log cabin covered the head
The skirt of the dress was big, and its
train cut wide swath. But the fashion
soon changed, and two years later low
shoes and trails went out OF style.
In 1911 and 1912 everything was "a la
milltaire." All Europe was covuIsed
with war, and France set the fashion then
as now. Besides, we were feeling q bit
belligeTent ourselves, and our women
wore bOnnets shaped like helmets and
collars like those of curassiers. Waists,
however, were still short. For several
years the military spirit continued ram
pant. Tartans became fashionable after
the appearance ofthe Scotch Highlanders
in Paris. and dresses were made after that
pattern up to the knee. The skirts were
short as well as the waist, and chung to
the linn bs OF the wearer.
The fact Is that the really artistic
designs of the past have all been pre-
served IN one form or another, and are
constantly reappearing. Thus in 1855 we
find the fOrerunner of the present mode
In the plain, heavy silks then popular,
worn with perfectly untrmmed skirts
and cOrsages "a basques," the latter
simply bordered with lace or fringe. A
rich black silk thus made was hand
some street costume as we'll as indoor
dress, only requiring the addition
of silk mantle or lace shawl
10 the spring, or of a velvet cloak or
Indian shawl in winter, to tit it for street
wear.
Our mothers and grandmothers were,
however, responsible for much that died
because it did not deserve to live. Their
grotesque sleeves and cOlkscrew curls
hanging IN front of the ears, their ugly
sleeves, their grotesq uely figured material
their chignOns, blOOmers. crlnolines. and
hoopskirts, their enormous flaring bon
nets, their great masses of flowers and
ribbons worn upon the head. even their
riding habits were as inartistic as any
thing cou well be. Herald from
fashion plates of long ago.
But our grandmOthers and great-grand-
mothers were not the only offenders.
Even in this day uunaturslly square and
hideOusly angular shoulders may be seen
on state street any afternoon. Only ten
Il.
to follow foreign STYLES, went to an eX-
treme OF characterization almost incredl-
BILE. Overskrts we're Topped heaven
knows now, strange shapes were cut out
of heaven knows what, long ends We're
made to terminate heaven knows where
such was dressmaking ten or fifteen
years ago. COlOTs, too, were in stranxest
CONFERENCE.-The darkest brown with
faintest blue; red bronze with pale
green; olive green with light blue
every hue o! the rainbow in juXtapOsi-
ton, and sometimes seen on a single
costume.
In two things. and two things only, has
woman beed constant and consistent.
She mas persisted in the use of lace and
stays, ald she has clung to decOllette
through all the changes Of years and
empires. People who talk Of the good
ola days" " non their grandmothcrs wore
dress waists that came up to the chin
and down to the wrists have not had an
opportunity to look over Il collection of
old fashion plates. As matter of history
II is known that from the days Of
Cleopatra down to the reign of Queen
Victoria and Mrs. Cleveland, bOdIces
cut TO display tue neck, shoulders, and
arms have been worn by all women Of
fashion, except, perhaps, by the stern
Elizabeth aud Ter court. They were cut
quite as low, too, in 1910 as they are now,
as our illustrations readily show, Queen
Victoria is said to be modest dame, but
she refuses to receive any lady who does
not appear before her in a gown cut
decollette and made with short sleeves.
No society woman IN England thinks OF
going to Opera, bail, dinner, or receipt on
in any other costume. French women
would take almost as an insult any sug-
gestiOn that they attire themselves tor
evening in high-neckcd dress, though
they have a more kindly feeling tor the
senslbiities Of other people than the Eng
lish, aud when their necEs are scrawny
and their shoulders lacking in plump
ness, they veil themselves in exquisite
lace that shows the whit" skin through
its meshes, but hides all blPmishes be-
meath its soft folds. The English women,
however, do not do this, and the art Is
one which should be learned bv
not few young or middle aged
women who so decollette to the opera in